Letting tight end Dustin Keller walk out the door was a less publicized (but perhaps equally clear) sign. Keller was Sanchez's security blanket, arguably the only receiver Sanchez ever showed legitimate chemistry with in four years.

Keller eventually signed a one-year contract with the Miami Dolphins, and on Sunday, he discussed how the Jets' moves to bring in Smith and Tim Tebow affected his former teammate.

"I think he doesn't like the fact those moves were made," Keller said of Sanchez on Sirius XM NFL Radio on Sunday. "I don't think those were things that made him happy. Could it possibly have been something that pushed him? Maybe, I'm not quite sure. But it definitely lit a fire underneath him. I've talked to him a couple of times this offseason and he's been working. So, I think you can expect some good things from him."

Keller also explained his feelings on the media spotlight in Gotham.

"There's always some type of nonsense going on. When you're in the New York media, you don't say that you're used to all of that; there's always going to be distractions," he said. "But this is really more so than anywhere else. You're really talking about a team -- we didn't even go to the playoffs the year before -- and it seemed like we're in the media more than anyone else, and for the wrong reasons. You never want that.

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"Could it have anything to do with the season, kinda things falling apart? I really don't know. When you're in that market, it just has to be something you're ready to deal with."

The Jets had many problems in 2012, but chief among them was a low baseline of talent that couldn't make up for injuries and continued regression by the quarterback.

Keller says we can expect a rebound from Sanchez, but you wonder if Keller actually thinks his old mate needs to get out of town and start over.